London’s sewer-dwelling ‘fatberg’ will be converted into biofuel

IT’s not the only monster lurking in the sewers. Beneath the streets of London lies the now-notorious “fatberg,” a congealed mass of grease, oil, wet wipes and sanitary products that weighs as much as 11 double-decker buses. Thames Water Utilities has confirmed that the 820-foot-long fatberg will be removed from its subterranean lair and converted into biofuel. “It may be a monster, but the Whitechapel fatberg deserves a second chance,” said Thames Water waste network manager Alex Saunders. “We’ve therefore teamed up with leading waste to power firm Argent Energy to transform what was once an evil, gut-wrenching, rancid blob into pure green fuel.”

Fatbergs appear when its necessary ingredients (fat, sanitary products, grease, etc.) are flushed down the toilet or the kitchen sink. They then meet and stick together. The notorious fatberg of London came together under Whitechapel Road and has damaged the area’s Victorian-era sewage system. Only about one-third of the mass has been removed for processing. The Museum of London hopes to receive part of the fatberg, which is heavy and solid, for display. “The discovery of this fatberg highlights one of the many issues London has to deal with as it grows and evolves,” said Sharon Ament, Director at the Museum of London. “Our year-long season, City Now City Future, explores what the future holds for people living in urban environments.”

Although this is not the first fatberg discovered, its conversion into fuel is breaking new ground. “It’s the perfect solution for the environment and our customers as we work towards our target to self-generate 33 per cent of the electricity we use from renewable sources by 2020,” said Saunders. “It also means the Whitechapel fatberg will get a new lease of life as renewable, biodegradable fuel powering an engine instead of causing the misery of sewer flooding. Even though they are our worst enemy, and we want them dead completely, bringing fatbergs back to life when we do find them in the form of biodiesel is a far better solution for everyone.”